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Warning: Minor Spoilers for the Agatha All Along finale.By many accounts, Agatha All Along has successfully cast its spell over audiences with a two-part finale that concluded its story in epic fashion. Even before the finale, though, the series charmed viewers with a fittingly spooky aesthetic that evoked everything from classic spooky season films to beloved musicalsnotably with a major nod to Wicked in episode 7. Through it all, a musical underscore colored the story with shades of whimsy, horror, and musical theater.

For this, audiences have composers Michael Paraskevas and Christophe Beck to thank. The two composers have worked together on a number of projects prior including Hawkeye and WandaVision and brought elements of the latter to bear in Agatha All Along. The composers also worked on incorporating The Ballad of the Witches Road by Frozen 2 songwriters Robert Lopez and Kristen Andersen-Lopez into their orchestral score for the series.

We’ve officially reached the end of the witches’ road — even though technically, it ended up being a circle — and everyone’s got their power back. Though admittedly, in some unexpected ways.

In the two-episode finale of the Marvel series “Agatha All Along,” now streaming on Disney+, we learn that the Witches’ Road isn’t actually real, and it never has been — at least, not until Billy Maximoff (Joe Locke) came along. With powers similar to his mother’s, he quite literally conjured the road under the streets of Westview.

He’s responsible for the trials and, by unintentional extension, the death of his coven. Well, most of his coven; Jen (Sasheer Zamata) managed to get out alive. But Agatha (Kathryn Hahn) sure didn’t.

Don’t worry, we aren’t technically losing her from the MCU. She’s a ghost now, determined to use her afterlife to help Billy find his brother Tommy.

With the first five episodes now streaming, Disney+ has revealed the new Agatha All Along midseason trailer and key art. Four episodes of the live-action series are left (the final two episodes will be released on October 30).

In the popular series, the infamous Agatha Harkness finds herself down and out of power after a suspicious goth Teen helps break her free from a distorted spell.

Her interest is piqued when he begs her to take him on the legendary Witches’ Road, a magical gauntlet of trials that, if survived, rewards a witch with what they’re missing. Together, Agatha and this mysterious Teen pull together a desperate coven and set off down, down, down The Road…

The Agatha All Along cast includes Kathryn Hahn, Joe Locke, Sasheer Zamata, Ali Ahn, Maria Dizzia, Paul Adelstein, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, and Okwui Okpokwasili, with Debra Jo Rupp, Patti LuPone, and Aubrey Plaza.

Having debuted...

A red carpet launch event for “Agatha All Along” was held at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood on Monday, September 16. Gold Derby associate editor Latasha Ford was there to chat with stars Kathryn Hahn, Joe Locke, additional cast members and artisans behind the Disney+ series.

Watch each short video by clicking their name below.

Kathryn Hahn, actress (Agatha Harkness)

Joe Locke, actor (Teen)

Sasheer Zamata, actress (Jennifer Kale)

Daniel Selon, costume designer (exclusive backstage interview)

Debra Jo Rupp, actress (Sharon Davis)

David Payton, actor (John Collins/”Herb”)

Miles Gutierrez-Riley, actor (Eddie)

Maria Dizzia, actress (Rebecca Kaplan)

Gandja Monteiro, director

Rachel Goldberg, director

Christophe Beck and Michael Paraskevas, composers

John Collins, production designer

In Marvel Studios’ “Agatha All Along,” the infamous Agatha Harkness finds herself down and out of power after a suspicious goth Teen helps break her free from a distorted spell. Her interest is piqued when he begs...

All photographs of Marvel Studios’ Infinity Saga Concert Experience at the Hollywood Bowl – Farah Sosa on behalf of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association.

Wamg was among a crowd of thousands Saturday night at the Hollywood Bowl for the Global premiere of Marvel Studios’ Infinity Saga Concert Experience.

Over the Labor Day weekend, new and old fans assembled to relive iconic moments from the MCU, all accompanied by a live orchestra, stunning projection mapping on the Bowl shell, fireworks, surprises… And there were surprises!

Disney Concerts, Marvel Studios and the Los Angeles Philharmonic captivated the audience with the Marvel Studios’ Infinity Saga Concert experience. Conducted by LA Phil Music & Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel, this momentous concert was an epic on-screen cinematic journey, covering 23 films from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) in a single unforgettable experience, exclusively at the Hollywood Bowl.

Opening with the recognizable Marvel Studios fanfare, the evening began when...

When fans learned that WandaVisions primary villain, Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn) landed her own spin-off series, theres no denying that we all thought Oh, the music is going to be so good! Not only can we expect the titular witch of Agatha All Along to have a few numbers of her own but its been confirmed that celebrated Christophe Beck is the man responsible for bringing music to our ears as the productions composer. With a credit sheet as long as a Cvs receipt, Beck is no stranger to Marvel as he previously scored the Ant-Man trilogy.

(L -R): Paul Bettany as VIsion and Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff in Marvel Studios’ Wandavision exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2020. All Rights Reserved.

In 2021, Disney+ aired nine episodes of “WandaVision”. The first Marvel Studios series created exclusively for Disney+, it starred Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff, Paul Bettany as Vision, and Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau, who was introduced to audiences in “Captain Marvel.” Kat Dennings reprised her role as Darcy from “Thor” and “Thor: The Dark World,” and Randall Park reprised his role as Jimmy Woo from “Ant-Man and The Wasp.”

“WandaVision” was a blend of classic television and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in which Wanda Maximoff and Vision – two super-powered beings living idealized suburban lives – began to suspect that everything was not as it seemed. The series was directed by Matt Shakman with Jac Schaeffer as head writer. The composers were...

If you appreciated Barbie’s eye-popping zaniness but its virtuous speechifying set your teeth on edge, have I got a sugary treat for you. And by “sugary,” I mean empty calories, not saccharine sentimentality. Gleefully silly — this is, after all, the directing debut of TV’s master of the domain of nothing — Unfrosted takes the origin-story template, wrings it dry of emotion, mixes basic facts with goofy fiction and serves up a bit of toasted history about the search for a “fruit-filled pastry dingus,” the 20th century creation we now know as the Pop-Tart.

Teaming again with his Bee Movie screenwriting collaborators, but this time without the strained punning and belabored narrative mechanics, Jerry Seinfeld has lured a cast of thousands to play characters both real and invented, often a hybrid of the two, in a straight-up comedy — no therapeutic underpinnings or civic lessons — that’s funniest when it isn’t trying too hard.

When composing the score for Netflix’s “Unfrosted,” Christophe Beck had a simple request from the film’s writer, director and star Jerry Seinfeld: “For everything to be just a little bit extra,” says Beck.

Set in the 1960s, “Unfrosted” is the Pop-Tarts origin story. Seinfeld plays the Kellogg’s employee who helps the company beat its rival, Post, in the breakfast pastry race. Beck used music to emphasize the optimism of American innovation. “I found it effective to inhabit a particular character in a scene, imagine what they were feeling in that moment, and then exaggerate it to a pretty extreme effect,” he says.

Such an example can be heard early on, as Bob Cabana (Seinfeld) is in a diner in the present day, recalling the past and how the Pop-Tart came to be. “That music is very period, jolly and optimistic because we’re setting up the...

Road House, starring Jake Gyllenhaal in the lead role, is a reboot of the 1989 Patrick Swayze film of the same name. Helmed by Doug Liman, the story has been written by Anthony Bagarozzi and Chuck Mondry.

Standout performances by Gyllenhaal, and Conor McGregor, the former UFC champion, and positive word of mouth have roused the interest of the audience. Additionally, the music and film score have also become one of the biggest talking points since the film was released recently.

Gyllenhaal plays Dalton in the film (Source: Road House) All the songs that feature on Road House

The film stars Jake Gyllenhaal as Elwood Dalton, a former UFC champion. He easily sinks into the role that Patrick Swayze played in the original. Reboots can be a hit or a miss in most cases, but in this case, it lands firmly on the side of the former.

Suggested“It has more...

The Hangover soundtrack features a diverse range of songs from artists like Kanye West and Phil Collins. The movie grossed over $467 million worldwide and holds the record for highest-grossing R-rated comedy. The music in The Hangover helps capture the excess and chaos of Las Vegas, enhancing the storyline.

The Hangover soundtrack features songs from a wide variety of musicians, ranging from rappers like Kanye West to prog rock performers like Phil Collins. The movie revolves around a bachelor party in Las Vegas in which the groom (Justin Bartha) goes missing. A disparate group of songs is used throughout this Vegas escapade. There are even a couple of songs in the movie sung by cast members: Stu (Ed Helms) wonders what tigers dream of “when they take a little tiger snooze,” and Alan (Zach Galifianakis) declares them to be “the three best friends that anybody could have.”

The Hangover was a hit at the box office,...

"Buffy The Vampire Slayer" season 4 is one of the show's more contested runs, but episode 10, "Hush," is a fan-favorite. When silent, grinning demons called the Gentlemen come to Sunnydale and rob the characters of their voices, the series makes a rare turn into outright horror.

Series creator (and controversial figure) Joss Whedon, who personally wrote and directed "Hush," recounted in the episode's DVD commentary that he wanted to test himself as a visual storyteller. He felt the visuals in "Buffy" had become too functional; the dialogue was guiding the storytelling to simple shot/reverse shot techniques. The obvious way to break up this monotony was to make an episode with little dialogue.

"Hush" forces the characters to find new ways of communicating and the story to deliver information without language. Looking at his career wholistically, Whedon never really outgrew using his dialogue as a crutch, but even he acknowledges: "It...

Features the voices of: Chloe Grace Moretz, Riz Ahmed, Eugene Lee Yang, Frances Conroy, Lorraine Toussaint, Beck Bennett, Indya Moore, RuPaul Charles, Julio Torres, Sarah Sherman | Written by Robert L. Baird, Lloyd Taylor | Directed by Nick Bruno, Troy Quane

Adapting the 2015 graphic novel from Nd Stevenson, Nimona was originally a production of Blue Sky Studios before Disney’s acquisition of Fox resulted in Blue Sky’s closure and the cancellation of this film. The project was thankfully revived by Annapurna Pictures, with Netflix providing worldwide distribution, allowing for the release of one of 2023’s best films.

Within a medieval-futuristic kingdom, Ballister Boldheart (Riz Ahmed) is about to make history as the first commoner to become a knight. He is a beacon of hope for those not of noble blood, establishing that “anyone can be a hero”, which makes his crowning glory even more horrifying when he is framed for killing the queen.

Colin Woodell as Winston Scott in ‘The Continental: From the World of John Wick’ (Photo by: Katalin Vermes / Starz Entertainment)

You’ve got to feel sorry for the fine folks at the San Diego Comic-Con. The Covid-19 pandemic shut the popular convention down in 2020, and it was forced into holding a much smaller convention – the “Comic-Con Special Edition” – in November 2021 after being unable to host its normal summertime pop culture event safely. Sdcc returned in 2022, but with strict Covid protocols in place.

2023 was thought to be the year the San Diego Comic-Con would spring back to life. But that wasn’t in the cards. The Writers Guild of America (WGA) went on strike, which meant many panel participants wouldn’t be able to attend. And then complicating matters, the Screen Actors Guild voted to authorize a strike if they couldn’t come to an agreement with the Alliance of Motion...

The exciting Deadpool 3 updates just keep coming, with an announcement that makes Ryan Reynolds' MCU debut even more exciting. Hot on the tail of the reveal of Hugh Jackman's yellow Wolverine costume, a more understated behind-the-scenes update to the talent working on Deadpool 3 should allay any fears that the sequel will follow the McU's unfortunate musical trend.

While Tyler Bates isn't returning for Wade Wilson's third movie, Stranger Things' Rob Simonsen has been tapped for the gig. Shawn Levy is currently directing Deadpool 3, taking over from David Leitch, who helmed Deadpool 2. Just like with the first two movies, Deadpool's latest film is getting a third new composer as Levy revealed who is taking over for Bates.

The amazing @robsimonsen is scoring our movie ⚔️ — Shawn Levy (@ShawnLevyDirect) July 10, 2023

A fan had speculated that Christophe Beck was going to be tapped to compose Deadpool 3, but Levy debunked the theory and,...

It took more than half a decade to get Nimona to the screen in all its pink, punk rock glory, but it finally happened in June thanks to a group of creatives who wouldn’t quit and a few mix tapes.

“We love music, so when we were starting this story process, we started making each other mixtapes about what we love,” director Nick Bruno tells The Hollywood Reporter about how he and fellow director Troy Quane geared up for the Netflix film’s soundtrack. “We love the idea that this whole soundtrack is female-led. It’s punk and big energy and stuff that you want to dance to, and you want to ride a rhino to. It’s multi-generational, and a lot of that is because of Kier [Lehman], our music supervisor.”

For Quane, Nimona‘s composer Christophe Beck “is nothing short of genius,” producing a score for them film so stirring,...

After what felt like ages of uncertainty and heartbreak, those who remained steadfast in their support for Nimona finally feel triumphant. Harsh circumstances made it so that a revelatory animated feature about a shape-shifting hero and two gay knights became a causality of intolerance and moral policing, but against all odds, Nimona has found new life. Disney never saw the value of Nimona and promptly forced production to close after acquiring Blue Sky Studios through the acquisition of 20th Century Fox. Instead of having a film under their banner that affirmed queer identities, had a heartfelt and fulfilling gay romance, and a genderfluid hero, they scrapped it in favor of half-assed attempts at representation and participation trophies. Annapurna and Netflix saw the value, heard the passionate cries from fans of Nd Stevenson's graphic novel, and sprung into action.

Nimona follows the adventures of Ballister Boldheart (Riz Ahmed), a knight disgraced by a tragic incident,...

The new animated film premiering on Netflix starts exactly the way you’d think a fairy tale should. The first words we hear, after all, are, “A long, long time ago, a kingdom lived in peace.”

But don’t be fooled. Nimona, based on Nd Stevenson’s acclaimed graphic novel, is about as far from an ordinary fairy tale as animated films get. Cheekily irreverent and hilariously subversive, it’s a consistent delight.

After that lulling introduction, the action shifts forward one thousand years, with the story set in a futuristic medieval kingdom that boasts skyscrapers along with its ancient fortresses. The story begins with a cheesy news broadcast hosted by two over-enthusiastic anchors (Indya Moore, RuPaul) covering the kingdom’s “Night to Knight Knights,” a reality show-style competition. Among the competitors is the insecure, one-armed Ballister Boldheart (Riz Ahmed), who’s encouraged in his efforts by his boyfriend and fellow knight-in-training,...

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is probably the most successful entertainment franchise in the world. Fans love the MCU for its creative spin on beloved characters, as well as their imaginative costumes and abilities. However, the McU's music is both vital and overlooked.

Related: 10 Best MCU Original Characters

Fans don't always pay attention to film scores, but the music associated with a hero is just as essential to their identity as their costumes or powers. After all, the hero saving the day just wouldn’t feel the same without the hero’s theme blaring triumphantly in the background. The movies and Disney+ series in the MCU are all filled with excellent themes, but a handful stand out above the rest.

It Ain’t Over Till The Wasp Lady Stings (Ant-Man And The Wasp) Composer: Christophe Beck

While Christophe Beck’s Ant-Man theme was an excellent blend of superhero and heist music,...

Deadline has launched the streaming site for Sound & Screen: Television, its live-music showcase featuring the musicians and their scores behind this year’s buzziest small-screen series and movies.

Click here to launch the streaming site.

The event Tuesday at UCLA’s Royce Hall in front of a packed house of Academy and guild voters featured a 50-piece orchestra conducted by the composers behind their works.

The site features all 12 panel conversations from the 14 series and movies who took part in the event, with the list of participating studios and streamers encompassing the wide swath of the biz: Apple TV+, CBS, Hulu, Paramount+, Prime Video, Showtime and HBO Max.

Panelists on board for music and panel conversations were composer Bear McCreary with The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power; composers Tom Mizer and Curtis Moore with The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel; composers Brian Tyler and Breton Vivian, behind Yellowstone and its prequel 1923; composer Christophe Beck,...

Up Here composer Christophe Beck said the Hulu musical series’ score was intended to stand out from the musical numbers. Beck is an old college friend of co-writer Robert Lopez and already collaborated with Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez on the Frozen films.

“We really wanted to set the score a little bit apart from the songs,” Beck said during a panel at Deadline’s Sound & Screen event. “The score takes a more contemporary acoustic rock approach but it’s also not afraid to go to different places as needed. Overall I think the electric guitar is a big part of the sound of the score.”

Based on Lopez and Anderson-Lopez’s stage musical, Up Here follows Lindsay (Mae Whitman) and Miguel (Carlos Valdez), a couple falling in love in 1999. The voices in their heads, representing parents and friends, sing their thoughts.

“We struggled a little bit trying to figure out,...

By Marc Butterfield

Go See It!

Most sequels have a tough enough job just living up to their first movie, and this one would have had a big enough job just being a sequel to the original Shazam! What director David F. Sandberg’s first movie had was the novelty of the story of a boy having the power to just speak a magic word and finding himself in his now adult “ultimate form”, plus the power of being nearly Superman’s equal (some would argue even more), a fun novelty super hero movie. The story also had the subplot of young Billy Batson’s quest to find his mother after having been in foster homes his whole life, only to realize that the foster home he is in has provided him with the family he really needed by the end of the movie. In the end, he creates the Shazam family,...

Mumbai, March 16 (Ians) Director David F. Sandberg, who is gearing up for the release of his superhero movie ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’, has shared that he gave a free-hand to music director Christophe Beck to create the score and that there was no iron-clad rule to follow the first part of the film.

The music of ‘Shazam!’, which was released in 2019, was done by Benjamin Wallfisch but he couldn’t reprise his role on the film’s sequel as he was busy working on the score of ‘Flash’ which was being shot in parallel to ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’. Finding no bandwidth on Wallfisch, David turned to Beck, who used different sound textures.

David told Ians: “I worked with Benjamin Wallfisch in ‘Shazam!’ but this time it didn’t work out because he was busy working on ‘Flash’ and both these films were being executed in parallel so...

March is off to a killer start at the box office with the releases of Creed III and Scream VI. However, another returning hero looks to continue the electric month next week with the release of Shazam! Fury of the Gods. The DC sequel coming off the beloved 2019 film looks just as fun, action-packed, and heartfelt as the original. Now a week ahead of the film’s debut, Fury of the Gods has released its entire musical score from Christophe Beck.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, like the previous two films in the Ant-Man franchise, makes terrific use of popular songs to elevate the film's tone and themes. Quantumania becomes just the latest in a long line of Marvel Cinematic Universe films to tie its central conceit into popular music, with Thor: Love and Thunder and the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise acting as noteworthy examples of this increasingly popular trend. While Quantumania may not have as many needle drops as certain other MCU films in recent memory, it makes what few it does have truly count, weaving together a memorable soundtrack.

Jonathan Majors's immensely powerful Kang the Conquerer makes his MCU debut in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, kicking off Phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with a bang. As the Multiverse Saga begins to heat up in anticipation of its epic two-part finale, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars,...

Ant-man And The Wasp: Quantumania. © 2023 Marvel.

Super-Hero partners Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) return to continue their adventures as Ant-Man and the Wasp. Together, with Hope’s parents Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) and Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), and Scott’s daughter Cassie Lang (Kathryn Newton), the family finds themselves exploring the Quantum Realm, interacting with strange new creatures and embarking on an adventure that will push them beyond the limits of what they thought possible.

The sci-fi adventure opens in theaters on Feb. 17, 2023.

#AntManAndTheWaspQuantumania

The advance screening is on Wednesday, February 15th, 7pm at Marcus Ronnies Cine on the IMAX screen.

The screening will be filled on a first come first served basis, so we encourage you to arrive early. Seats will not be guaranteed. Rated PG-13.

Enter at the link below for the chance to win a family-four pack of passes.

Sweepstakes Link: http://gofobo.

Check out the brand new trailer for director David F. Sandberg’s Shazam! Fury Of The Gods.

Hitting theaters on March 17, the film continues the story of teenage Billy Batson who, upon reciting the magic word “Shazam!,” is transformed into his adult Super Hero alter ego, Shazam.

Bestowed with the powers of the gods, Billy Batson and his fellow foster kids are still learning how to juggle teenage life with having adult Super Hero alter-egos. But when the Daughters of Atlas, a vengeful trio of ancient gods, arrive on Earth in search of the magic stolen from them long ago, Billy—aka Shazam—and his family are thrust into a battle for their superpowers, their lives, and the fate of their world.

Check out the trailer breakdown Here with Sandberg where he talks about dragons, the daughters of Atlas and the magic word.

“Shazam! Fury of the Gods” stars returning...

Warning: Spoilers for Weird: The Al Yankovic Story.The imminent Roku original movie Weird: The Al Yankovic Story may have roots that date back to 2013, but the unique brand of comedy on display in the film is just what audiences in 2022 need. When a trailer for the at-the-time fictional movie dropped on Funny or Die, viewers responded enthusiastically to the satirical take on the beloved parody singer's backstory. Eric Appel, the writer and director of the original sketch, returned to direct the full-length version, which rides high on a strong script co-written by Appel and "Weird Al" Yankovic himself.

The script is brought to life with frenetic energy and a surprising amount of heart, thanks to a stellar cast that includes Daniel Radcliffe as "Weird Al" Yankovic, Evan Rachel Wood as Madonna, and Rainn Wilson as Yankovic's mentor Dr. Demento. Weird: The Al Yankovic Story mines humor and heart alike from every source possible,...

It seems like many people have rediscovered their love for Michael Giachinno after his recent successful directorial debut with Marvel's television special Werewolf By Night. Prior to that, he was best known for creating unforgettable soundtracks for multiple iconic TV series like Lost, Alias, and Fringe.

Music in the television world is just as important as in the cinema. More often than not great soundtrack establishes a crucial emotional connection between the long-form material and the audience. Reddit users are weighing in on which TV series unanimously deserve a gold medal for their soundtracks.

Lost

Lost is a unique piece of television that provides its audience with a philosophical and spiritual experience, redefining the ideas of fate, belief, destiny, and second chances. All these themes are solidified on screen with the help of the iconic score by Michael Giacchino.

Related: 10 Best Michael Giacchino Film Scores

Every single character's journey on...

(L-r) Ross Butler as Super Hero Eugene, Adam Brody as Super Hero Freddy, Grace Caroline Currey as Super Hero Mary, Zachary Levi as Shazam, Meagan Good as Super Hero Darla and D.J. Cotrona as Super Hero Pedro

Copyright: © 2022 Warner Bros. Ent. All Rights Reserved. Tm & © DC

Shazam! is back!

Check out the first trailer for director David F. Sandberg’s Shazam! Fury Of The Gods.

The trailer appeared to a hyped up crowd during Warner Bros. Pictures’ theatrical panel in Hall H at the San Diego Comic Con 2022. Zachary Levi, Director David F. Sandberg, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer and Lucy Liu attended the panel to discuss the sequel set to open in theaters internationally beginning 15 December 2022 and in North America on December 21, 2022.

According to Variety:

The most energetic moment of the panel was when Helen Mirren and Rachel Zegler appeared remotely via video, and Mirren celebrated her female costars by saying,...

After two years without an in-person Comic-Con, fans are definitely holding out for the appearance of a few heroes. Fortunately, the ongoing pandemic — and skepticism over whether the Con will truly enforce those mask protocols — won’t keep the newest caped crusaders from braving the annual nerdfest that kicks off Thursday in San Diego.

Marvel shouldn’t disappoint with sneak peeks of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and the upcoming She-Hulk: Attorney at Law for Disney+. But it’s not expected to shower Hall H with an embarrassment of riches like it did in 2019; some sources believe Marvel is saving it all up for Disney’s fan convention D23 during the second weekend of September, specifically in regards to new projects. There’s still stuff we haven’t seen, specifically the Fantastic Four reboot, Mahershala Ali in The Blade, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (due May 5), The Marvels (July 28, 2023) and The Mutants.

Updated with Saturday schedule: After a two-year in-person hiatus due to Covid, San Diego Comic-Con is raging back with a big footprint by streaming, TV and, well, as far as big screen feature films, let’s just say they’re creeping back.

Marvel will make some big waves with its upcoming new movies (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) and Disney+ series (She-Hulk), but it will keep some powder dry for D23 in early September. Dwayne Johnson will be booming with New Line/DC’s Black Adam, along with Shazam: Fury of the Gods star Zachary Levi. However, while Sony will be skipping as the Spider-Verse animated sequel is set for next year. Paramount will be giving fans an early look at Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. And there’s Kevin Smith with Clerks III.

Sdcc runs from Wednesday, July 20-Sunday, July...

Composers Christophe Beck and the Newton Brothers were among top honorees at Thursday night’s Sesac Film and Television Composer Awards in Santa Monica, California.

Beck was cited for his music for last year’s action comedy “Free Guy,” while the Newton Brothers (Andy Grush and Taylor Stewart) earned their award for scoring the action-horror film “The Forever Purge.”

Television composers honored for popular series included Danny Lux, Jon Ehrlich, Gabriel Mann (“A Million Little Things”) and Paul Buckley (“Odd Squad”).

Scott Jungmichel, recently named president and COO of Sesac Performing Rights, greeted the crowd, while Erin Collins, VP of film, television and developing media, announced that Sesac’s Reel Change: The Fund for Diversity in Film Scoring program (designed to support traditionally underrepresented groups) had recently funded projects for 12 composers, amounting to nearly 200,000.

Beck was honored in two other arenas, for performances of his music on cable and streaming...

The knee-slapping quips and archery antics of Clint Barton and Kate Bishop in the MCU’s “Hawkeye” series have been submitted for Emmy attention in the comedy categories, instead of the presumed limited series field. With the switch in categories, all signs indicate that a potential second season of the Hawkeye superhero saga is in the future for Disney+, though no official announcement has been made.

In addition to seeking love for outstanding comedy series, stars Jeremy Renner and Hailee Steinfeld will angle for lead actor and lead actress consideration. In the supporting categories, Disney has submitted Vincent D’Onofrio, Fra Free, Tony Dalton, Alaqua Cox, Florence Pugh and Vera Farmiga.

Read more: Variety’s Awards Circuit Emmys Predictions Hub

The MCU has its hands full this television awards season. Variety exclusively reported “Loki” would be submitted in the drama categories, while “Moon Knight” will now fly solo in the limited series realm.

“That is the role that music should play in a scene,” declares acclaimed Korean composer Jung Jae-il (“Parasite”) about the role of a composer on a series like the Netflix blockbuster “Squid Game,” on which he juxtaposes the mood of each scene with a variety of musical styles, from bombastic percussion, to distorted synth-rock, to mellifluous orchestral pieces. For our recent webchat, he adds that “the music should not be in the foreground of the scene, but at the same time, music can show something completely different to the scene.” Watch our exclusive video interview above.

“Squid Game” was conceived by acclaimed feature writer/director Hwang Dong-hyuk, who not only created and produced “Squid Game” but also wrote and directed all nine episodes. The series stars leading man Lee Jung-jae as central hero Gi-hun, Jung Ho-yeon as the mysterious North Korean refugee Sae-byeok, Park Hae-soo as the calculating Sang-woo, Wi Ha-jun as undercover cop Jun-ho,...

Despite being one of the Og six Avengers in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) is usually forgotten at worst and overlooked at best. That’s been the long-running joke in the MCU and Irl, so it’s not surprising that he never had his own theme until Disney+’s “Hawkeye” came along. And composers Christophe Beck, an Emmy winner who was nominated last year for “WandaVision,” and Michael Paraskevas jumped at the opportunity to give the archer some signature music at long last.

“It’s an amazing feeling, especially with a franchise as storied and as vast as the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The opportunity to set the tone for a character is one that I relish,” Beck tells Gold Derby in an interview with Paraskevas (watch the exclusive video interview above). “I loved doing it for Wanda and Vision in ‘WandaVision,’ and especially here because, as you mentioned,...

The Society of Composers & Lyricists announced the winners of its 3rd Annual Scl Awards this evening at The Skirball Cultural Center. The event, which was hosted by rapper Aloe Blacc, recognizes composers and songwriters in all visual media.

Oscar-nominated siblings Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell accepted their award virtually for Outstanding Original Song for a Drama/Documentary for the theme from No Time To Die.

Outstanding Original Song for a Musical/Comedy went to “Just Look up”, co-written by Nicholas Britell, Taura Stinson, Ariana Grande and Scott “Kid Cudi” Mescudi, from Adam McKay’s Don’t Look Up.

Germaine Franco, also nominated for an Oscar this year and the first woman to score an animated feature film for Disney, won in the category of Outstanding Original Score for a Studio film for Encanto, while Daniel Hart was awarded in the Outstanding Original Score for an Independent Film category for A24’s The Green Knight.

2Nd Update, 6:00 Pm: The Society of Composers & Lyricists has rescheduled its Covid-delayed third annual Scl Awards for Tuesday, March 8, at the Skirball Cultural Center in L.A.

“After much deliberation, we have also decided to extend out final voting period,” the group said this evening. “This will allow our many mem bers who have been impacted by the surge in Covid-19 additional time to review all the nominees’ excellent work.” The voting period now will begin Monday and run through February 25.

See the list of nominations below.

Updated, 4:30 Pm: The Society of Composers & Lyricists has postponed its third annual Scl Awards amid the surge in Covid cases tied to the Omicron variant. No new date was set for the ceremony that had been set for February 1 at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles.

Here is the statement from the group’s president, Ashley Irwin:

Upon...

The Society of Composers & Lyricists have announced the full list of Scl Awards’ nominees, to be presented the 3rd Annual Scl Awards for score and songs in visual media on February 1st at the Skirball Cultural Center (Covid permitting). Awards are presented in seven competitive categories: Outstanding Original Score for a Studio Film, Outstanding Original Score for an Independent Film, Outstanding Original Score for a Television Production, Outstanding Original Song for a Dramatic or Documentary Visual Media Production, Outstanding Original Song for a Comedy or Musical Visual Media Production, Outstanding Original Score for Interactive Media, and the David Raksin Award for Emerging Talent.

The evening hosted by Darren Criss will include musical performances from Grammy-nominated singers/songwriters of Bridgerton: The Unofficial Musical Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, Grammy winner Judith Hill, and more. A musical tribute will accompany the spirit of collaboration award.

Full list of nominees below:

Outstanding...

Nicholas Britell has a leading three nominations from the Society of Composers & Lyricists Awards, with Tuesday’s announcement of this year’s nominees for music in visual media finding Britell in contention for both song and score for his work on Adam McKay’s satire “Don’t Look Up,” as well as a nom for TV score for “Succession.”

The Scl’s third annual awards program is slated for Feb. 1 at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles.

Women composers and songwriters had a surprisingly strong showing this year. Fifteen of the 35 individuals nominated, or nearly 43% of the total, are female. They are nominees in all six competitive categories, and took all three slots for the newly established David Raksin Award for emerging talent.

Four contenders received two nominations each: Jonny Greenwood, Kid Cudi (songs in “Don’t Look Up” and “The Harder They Fall”), Germaine Franco (scores for “Encanto” and the...

Nicholas Britell led all composers with three nominations for the third annual Society of Composers and Lyricists’ Scl Awards, the organization announced on Tuesday.

Britell was nominated for his scores to the film “Don’t Look Up” and the television series “Succession,” as well as for co-writing the song “Just Look Up” from “Don’t Look Up.”

Other composers or songwriters with multiple nominations in the seven categories were Germaine Franco, nominated for her scores to “Encanto” and “Kung Fu Panda: Land of Awesomeness”; Jonny Greenwood, nominated for “The Power of the Dog” and “Spencer”; Scott “Kid Cudi” Mescudi, nominated for songs from “Don’t Look Up” and “The Harder They Fall”; and Diane Warren, nominated for songs from “Four Good Days” and “The Mustangs.”

Nominees in the Studio Film category were Britell, Franco, Greenwood, Alexandre Desplat for “The French Dispatch” and Hans Zimmer for “Dune.” In the Independent Film category, Greenwood was...

It has been long loading time for Shawn Levy’s Free Guy thanks to the end boss known as the pandemic but finally it’s here, and what a sleeper hit it has been in a very difficult year for cinema, as the medium tries to finds its feet again. In fact many are saying that Free Guy is perhaps the best video game film ever made, which is kind of ironic because the film itself is not a video game adaptation, but a brand new story inspired by a plethora of video game (and movie) influences.

Ryan Reynolds is Guy, a non playable character in a widely successful and popular open world video game called Free City, but Guy aspires to more than being an observer to life and starts to act against his programming. This act of individuality, not only allows Guy to see the wider realities of...

Not so long ago, composers doing “genre” material — horror, science fiction, fantasy — saw an Oscar or Emmy nomination as a longshot, namely because voters didn’t seem to take those projects seriously.

But times have changed. Six of the 11 nominees in Emmy’s two narrative-fiction music categories have some element of sci-fi, fantasy or horror, in addition to two of the nominated songs, two main-title themes and four of the music supervision nominees.

Why the turnabout? Variety asked several of this year’s music nominees for their thoughts, and each offered a slightly different answer.

“When you talk about awards recognition, a lot of the time it’s really about what’s in the collective consciousness,” says TV Academy music governor Jeff Russo (“Fargo”). “Genre films and television shows have been at the top of the collective consciousness for a number of reasons: The types of stories being told are escapism,...

As Emmy voting draws to a close, the 2021 music nominations span rookies to regulars. Here’s a guide, sizing up the competition in seven categories including scoring, supervision and song.

There is a wealth of music nominated across different sounds and genres. Variety breaks it all down in the annual Emmy chart.

Music Composition for a Series

“Bridgerton” (Netflix)

Composer: Kris Bowers

Two previous nominations (two this year)

“Diamond of the First Water”

Period-appropriate strings dominate small-ensemble score.

“The Crown” (Netflix)

Composer: Martin Phipps

Six previous nominations

“The Balmoral Test”

Harp, women’s voices for Diana’s entry into the royal family

“The Handmaid’s Tale” (Hulu)

Composer: Adam Taylor

One previous nomination

“The Crossing”

Eerie textures, string quartet, for June’s capture and torture

“Lovecraft Country” (HBO)

Composers: Laura Karpman, Raphael Saadiq

One win, three noms for Karpman; first nom for Saadiq

“Rewind 1921”

Operatic aria, large orchestra play requiem for...

(L-r): Lil Rel Howery as Buddy and Ryan Reynolds as Guy in 20th Century Studios’ Free Guy. Courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2021 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

20th Century Studios’ action-comedy Free Guy debuts on all major digital platforms on September 28 and on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD on October 12. Consumers can enjoy never-before-seen bonus material including two deleted scenes, an extended scene, bloopers and making-of featurettes.

Read Wamg’s review Here.

A bank teller (Ryan Reynolds) who discovers he is actually a background player in an open-world video game decides to become the hero of his own story – one he rewrites himself. Now, in a world where there are no limits, he is determined to be the guy who saves his world his way… before it’s too late.

20th Century Studios’ Free Guy Bonus Features*

Deleted and Extended ScenesGuy and Buddy Hit the BeachHot Nuts...

‘Cruella’, ‘Judas And The Black Messiah’ and ‘Minari’ composers have all been nominated.

The World Soundtrack Awards has unveiled the first nominations for its 2021 edition, which will take place in its traditional slot as the closing event of Film Fest Ghent on October 23.

The ceremony is scheduled as a physical event this year and will be held at the opera house in Ghent for the first time.

Nicholas Britell, Daniel Pemberton and Emile Mosseri have received two nominations each.

Nainita Desai has benefitted from a rule change that sees documentary scores now eligible for all film score categories. Desai is...

“WandaVision” just reaped a whopping 23 Emmy nominations. The limited series, which debuted in January, was the first Marvel show on Disney’s new streaming service. But it has a different style and tone from previous MCU projects. The mashup of superheroes and sitcoms became one of the most talked about TV events of the year. Scroll down to watch our nine exclusive video interviews with Emmy nominees from the limited series.

The story focuses on Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) after witnessing the murder of her love Vision (Paul Bettany) during “Avengers: Infinity War.” Despite Vision’s demise, “WandaVision” begins with the pair living in wedded bliss in a black-and-white sitcom set. Viewers quickly learn that this strange reality is somehow tied to Wanda’s untapped magical powers, as each episode plops the pair into a new sitcom decade. The design elements, cinematography, and acting styles change with the times. The...

Disney+ flexed its sci-fi and superhero muscles at the Creative Arts Emmys on Tuesday. “The Mandalorian” came roaring back for Season 2 to lead all craft nominations with 17, followed by Marvel’s trippy “WandaVision,” which scored 15. For good measure, Marvel’s other series, “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” added four craft noms.

However, Netflix topped everyone, led by “The Queen’s Gambit” with 12 noms, “The Crown” (Season 4) with 11, “Bridgerton” with eight, “The Umbrella Academy” with four, and “Halston” with three. HBO countered with “Lovecraft Country” garnering 11 noms and the buzzy “Mare of Easttown,” starring Kate Winslet, gathering nine, among other shows. Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” (Season 4) returned with eight noms, and Apple TV+’s “Ted Lasso” comedy tallied an impressive seven.

A few noteworthy craft standouts: Dana Gonzales’ brilliant black-and-white cinematography for “Fargo’s” “East/West” episode (FX), David Franco’s moody cinematography for HBO’s “Perry Mason” (“Chapter Two”), “Bridgerton...

The TV Academy music branch is clearly not impressed by big names.

None of the superstars who entered the 2020-21 Emmy competition in the music categories — including H.E.R., Beyoncé, Bruce Springsteen, Sara Bareilles, Dolly Parton and Cher — were rewarded Wednesday when the 73rd annual Emmy Award nominations were announced.

Rather, the majority of nominees in the seven music categories were largely familiar composers, songwriters, music directors and music supervisors within the scoring community.

The biggest musical names nominated were Marcus Mumford for the theme for “Ted Lasso,” Grammy president-ceo Harvey Mason Jr. for “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist,” jazzman Branford Marsalis for a History Channel documentary, two-time Oscar winners Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez for their hummable songs for “WandaVision,” and Tony winner Marc Shaiman for a song on a YouTube special.

Missing from Tuesday’s lists were songs for “Safety,” by H.E.R.; “Black Is King” by Beyoncé; both “Girls5eva...

“I’m a visual person, so all of these costumes and designs got into my head,” reveals Oscar-nominated costume designer Mayes C. Rubeo (“Jojo Rabbit”) about the ambitious scope and sheer volume of genres, periods, looks and styles that she designed on Marvel’s Disney+ limited series phenomenon “WandaVision.” Watch our exclusive video interview above.

See Exclusive Video Interview: Christophe Beck (‘WandaVision’ composer)

“WandaVision” is Marvel’s first foray into limited series storytelling on the Disney+ streaming platform, created by screenwriter Jac Schaeffer, with all nine of its episodes directed by Emmy nominee Matt Shakman (“The Great”). It stars Elizabeth Olsen, reprising her role as Wanda Maximoff (a.k.a. Scarlet Witch), with Paul Bettany reprising his role as Vision and Emmy-nominee Kathryn Hahn co-starring as nosy neighbor Agnes (spoiler alert – who is later revealed as centuries-old witch Agatha Harkness), alongside Debra Jo Rupp, Fred Melamed, Teyonah Parris, Randall Park,...